


To See You Again

by aMantaRay



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Anger, Feels, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Husbands, Loneliness, M/M, Orchids, eli's hurting and missing his husband, thrawn still has his mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMantaRay/pseuds/aMantaRay
Summary: Good day, Lieutenant Vanto?Good day?After a full year without a word from hishusbandandgood daywas the greeting he received? Secret relationship or not, Eli was furious. Regardless, he had a right to be angry. But...he still just...missed him.
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	To See You Again

**Author's Note:**

> Here's to a little bit of feels.
> 
> As always, enjoy.

“Good day, Lieutenant Vanto.”

Good day, Lieutenant Vanto? _Good day?_ After a full year without a word from his _husband_ and _good day_ was the greeting he received? Secret relationship or not, Eli was furious. On the outside, he was calm and collected, giving a slight nod in return as he stood behind and to the side of Admiral Ar’alani. He listened as the pair of admirals conversed quietly in Cheunh, eyes traveling around the bridge until he found Karyn. He smiled slightly, glad to see a familiar, warm face.

“Lieutenant Vanto,” she greeted softly, heading toward him. 

“Commodore Faro.” He took in her new rank plaque appreciatively. “Permission to speak freely?”

“Of course.”

Eli brightened considerably, although the outward appearance showed less. “You’re a commodore now?” He asked quietly once the woman was at his side. “The admiral was right to give you command.”

“Thank you.” She smiled slightly, clasping her hands behind her back. “What about you? _Lieutenant_ Vanto? Who’d you piss off for you to get demoted?” Her eyes traveled curiously to the female Chiss, noting the chilling similarities between her and Thrawn. 

He gave a slight laugh, shifting to the balls of his feet for a moment before relaxing again. “New military means a new rank, I suppose. When Admiral Thrawn joined the empire, he was demoted as well.”

Faro nodded in understanding. Poor Vanto. He’d already been crapped on enough by the empire, only to be crapped on by a new military force it seemed. She wanted to get him alone to ask how he was taking the long distance, but that didn’t seem possible at the moment. 

She nearly jumped when the female Admiral barked a few quick sentences at Eli in the Chiss language. Almost. 

“ _Admiral Mitth’raw’nuruodo has requested we stay onboard the Chimaera for the moment_ ,” she spoke firmly, meeting his gaze. “ _He has decided it is best that you are not wandering the halls of the Chimaera alone, as you are a deserter to your empire, so you will be given a temporary set of quarters during our stay instead. You are to remain inside your quarters unless otherwise stated. The death trooper by the door is your escort. Understood_?”

Eli kept his face clear as he turned his attention away from the commodore. _Good day, Lieutenant Vanto_? _And_ locked inside his quarters? Unable to wander the _Chimaera_? The man resisted the urge to scowl. “ _Yes, Admiral_ ,” he answered easily, glancing toward Thrawn, gaze flickering toward his left hand. No ring. 

“ _Dismissed_.”

The lieutenant turned, nodding once at the commodore before starting for the death trooper near the entrance to the bridge, resisting the urge to shiver. The black armor glinted in the bright lights of the bridge, the outline of a chimaera visible on his pauldron. If Thrawn hadn’t given the troopers orders not to kill him… 

“To my temporary quarters then, I suppose.” Eli motioned the trooper toward the hall, following behind him as he walked the familiar halls of the ship he’d once considered his home.

His chest ached. He hadn’t realized how much he’d _missed_ the damn ship. His brow furrowed. Unless the admiral had changed the location of his quarters, the room he’d been brought to was the connecting room to Thrawn’s room. His old quarters. He let out a slow deep breath as the door hissed open for him.

“Thank you,” he murmured to the trooper, stepping inside the familiar room. A wave of memories hit him all at once, and he couldn’t help the slight smile on his lips. This was _his_ room. He stepped further inside, fingers trailing along the bedspread, eyes on the painting above the desk. A single Lysatrian Orchid. Blue Dendrobium. His favorite flower, actually. “Darlin’...” he sighed, sinking to sit on the edge of his bed. The _hell_ was he supposed to do now? He leaned forward against his thighs, steepling his fingers, tips of his pointer fingers brushing against his lips as he stayed focused on the painting on the wall. 

He _wanted_ to be angry at Thrawn. He had the right to be angry with the Chiss. He _was_ angry. So...why couldn’t he stay angry at the man?

Eli glanced toward the door as it hissed open, catching a glimpse of blue out of the corner of his eye, turning back to the painting again. He was quiet for a moment, waiting for the man to speak first. When he didn’t, he said, “This one new, Admiral? I’ve never seen it before.”

“It is an original work by a Lysatrian artist by the name of Domonic Lans,” Thrawn’s voice was soft but confident. He stood with his posture straight, hands clasped behind his back. “Eli--”

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it.” He shook his head slightly, dropping his hands to land between his thighs, shifting his wedding band as he rubbed his ring finger and middle finger past one another. “I just...I’m angry, honestly. I’m hurt, and I’m upset. _Good day, Lieutenant Vanto_? _Really,_ Thrawn? Did you even miss me? Or care that I was gone? It’s been a year. An entire kriffin’ _year_ that’s honestly been the hardest year of my _life_.”

The Chiss frowned, processing what the human said as he stepped closer. He pulled the chair from the desk around, sitting so his knees brushed against his husband’s. He settled the orchid he’d been holding hidden out in front of him, offering it to Eli. “For you.”

Eli found the orchid, brow furrowing. Rare and nearly identical to the Lysatrian Orchid in the painting. “Where did you get this?” He asked, taking the flower gently, fingers brushing carefully over the blue and purple petals. “It’s beautiful.” His shoulders sagged.

“I missed you,” Thrawn ignored the question, settling his forehead against Eli’s forehead, placing a hand over his husband’s knee. “I love you... Please, forgive me,” he whispered. 

“It hurt,” he mumbled, his dark eyes sliding shut, but not before glimpsing the silver chain beneath his uniform, hidden by his stiff collar. Ah...that’s where his wedding band was. “I haven’t seen you in a full year. I’ve been unable to talk to you in a year. You could’ve…I don’t know…” he shook his head, “at least acted like I was a friend. Even without our relationship, I served under you for years.”

He was quiet for a moment, a hand coming up to cup his jaw, bringing Eli’s head up just enough to press a proper kiss to his lips. “I was startled. I had not expected to see you at all.” His voice was soft. “Let alone find you back on my ship.” Another kiss. 

Eli melted into the kisses. He couldn’t help it. But… he settled a hand on Thrawn’s chest, slowly pushing him away to give him space. “I love you. Darlin’, you know I do…” he sighed, pushing himself up to stand, orchid still in his hand. Eli looked down at the flower, brushing his fingers over the delicate petals again before setting it down on the dark surface of the desk. “I don’t know. I don’t know, I’m sorry.” He shut his eyes tightly. 

He leaned forward against the desk, fingers laying flat. “Why did you send me away? I don’t get it, Thrawn. Did you...did you not want me here anymore? With you by your side?”

“That is an absurd question,” Thrawn answered calmly, simply turning his head to watch the human. “Of course I wanted you by my side. I _still_ want you by my side, but it is too dangerous.”

“Why?”

Thrawn let out a slow sigh, standing and stepping up behind his husband, settling a hand against his lower back. “The emperor was becoming too interested in the Lieutenant Commander I had taken on as my protégé. You would have been removed from my side and disappeared had I waited any longer. I controlled what I could and sent you away to keep you safe. _We_ were too powerful together for his liking.” 

He settled his free hand over Eli’s bicep, thumb brushing over the dark fabric of his CDF uniform. “I was afraid that I would be unable to hide my affection for you from him; that he would see right through me if he tried to take you from me. I did what I thought was best and sent you to my people.” He gave a slight smile, a small kiss finding its way to Eli’s ear. “There, I knew you would be safe. Besides, Ar’alani has already complimented you on your work. As I promised, you are an important asset to the Ascendancy.”

“I’m just a data guy.” Eli turned, very carefully wrapping his arms around Thrawn’s middle, hooking his chin over his shoulder. His fingers curled in the grand admiral’s white uniform. “...Come home with me. Back to your people. Please. Just...just come back with me. We can leave now. We can stay on the _Steadfast_. Together.”

“I cannot,” he sighed, arms tightening around Eli’s slim frame. Crimson eyes sliding shut as he held him close. “I must finish my mission here before I return. But, I promise you that I will return to you.”

“Please…” Eli’s dark eyes watered, a hand coming up to tangle in the ends of his blue-black locks. “Thrawn, I don’t want to say goodbye to you again. I _can’t_.”

The Chiss gave a small shake of his head. “You will not have to say goodbye to me,” he murmured. “It is...too permanent of a statement. I will simply see you again soon.”


End file.
